Surge decision was Obama's toughest

AFGHANISTAN

Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times

Published
4:00 am PST, Monday, December 14, 2009

President Barack Obama speaks at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Obama announced Tuesday night that he will begin to draw American forces out of Afghanistan in July 2011, even after sending some 30,000 more United States troops there by mid-2010 because "it is in our vital national interest" to reverse the momentum of Taliban insurgents. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times) less

President Barack Obama speaks at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Obama announced Tuesday night that he will begin to draw American forces out of Afghanistan in ... more

Photo: Ruth Fremson, NYT

Photo: Ruth Fremson, NYT

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President Barack Obama speaks at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Obama announced Tuesday night that he will begin to draw American forces out of Afghanistan in July 2011, even after sending some 30,000 more United States troops there by mid-2010 because "it is in our vital national interest" to reverse the momentum of Taliban insurgents. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times) less

President Barack Obama speaks at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Obama announced Tuesday night that he will begin to draw American forces out of Afghanistan in ... more

Photo: Ruth Fremson, NYT

Surge decision was Obama's toughest

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In strikingly personal comments about his order to escalate the war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said Sunday that his decision to send an additional 30,000 combat troops was the hardest of his presidency.

"I was looking out over a group of cadets, some of whom were going to be deployed in Afghanistan," Obama said in an interview on the CBS program "60 Minutes," broadcast Sunday night. "And potentially some might not come back. There is not a speech that I've made that hit me in the gut as much as that speech."

The president disagreed with criticism that his plan is confusing and contradictory because at the same time he announced the deployment, he set a date to start withdrawing troops in July 2011.

"Forty million people watched" the speech, Obama said, according to a transcript provided by CBS. "And I think a whole bunch of people understood what we intend to do. ... There shouldn't be anything confusing about that. ... That's something we executed over the last two years in Iraq. So I think the American people are familiar with the idea of the surge."

In the interview, Obama also discussed jobs, the economy and health care. His responses to interviewer Steve Kroft were alternately grave, wry and witty.

He spoke frankly about the enormousness of the struggle to craft a strategy in South Asia. Asked about the detached tone of his West Point speech, Obama said the history of the Bush administration had shown him the perils of promising victory.

"One of the mistakes that was made over the last eight years is for us to have a triumphant sense about war," Obama said. "There was a tendency to say, 'We can go in. We can kick some tail. This is some glorious exercise.' When in fact, this is a tough business."

While planning the Afghan buildup, the administration wrestled with a thorny challenge: Although the goal is to defeat al Qaeda, most of the terrorist network's leaders, fighters and allies are in Pakistan. The "epicenter of violent extremism" menacing the West is based in the lawless border region and must be fought on both sides, Obama said.

"This is the heart of it," Obama said. "This is where (Osama) bin Laden is. ... Half of this territory is in Afghanistan; half of it is in Pakistan. Ultimately, in order for us to eradicate the problem, to really go after al Qaeda in an effective way, we are going to need more cooperation from Pakistan. There is no doubt about that."

Acknowledging that many Americans are fed up with the Afghan war, Obama defended the withdrawal date as a stern message to an Afghan government beset by corruption and disarray.

"Very frankly, there are, I think, elements in Afghanistan who would be perfectly satisfied to make Afghanistan a permanent protectorate of the United States," Obama said. He added: "That's not what the American people signed off for when they went into Afghanistan in 2001. They signed up to go after al Qaeda."

On the economy, Obama discussed his plan to spur hiring with money left over from the multibillion-dollar bailout of Wall Street. He scolded "fat-cat bankers on Wall Street" who have resumed paying huge bonuses while battling new financial regulations on Capitol Hill.

"The people on Wall Street still don't get it," he said. "They're still puzzled why is it that people are mad at the banks. Well, let's see. You guys are drawing down $10 (million), $20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year that it's gone through in decades, and you guys caused the problem. And we've got 10 percent unemployment. Why do you think people might be a little frustrated?"

Obama will meet Monday with a group of banking executives to discuss the administration's push for expanded lending to small businesses and tough new regulations on the financial sector.